A calm afternoon in Champaign County took a turn for the worst after a house caught fire Monday afternoon.

A gunman opened fire on the Teotihuacan Pyramids in Mexico on Monday, killing one and injuring 13 others, including some Americans, in a rare attack on a tourist site.

Eighteen years ago, Jenna Karvunidis was expecting her first baby. She got her friends and family together for a party, cut into a cake, revealing pink icing inside. The baby was a girl.

EbertFest has officially wrapped for good, and the festival is leaving Champaign.

Think you’ve got a classic last name? Brown, Davis, Johnson, Jones, Miller, Smith, Williams and Wilson are the definition of classic in the U.S.

University of Illinois researchers have created a new way to detect cancer in lymph nodes using ultraviolet and infrared cameras.

April showers usually bring May flowers, but for some of us, the showers are also seemingly bringing out another spring sight: dandelions.

The NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships were in town over the weekend. For those of you who went, you might have seen an important member of the Illini in the stands.

The House Ethics Committee has conducted 20 investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the House since 2017, the panel revealed in a rare, lengthy public statement on Monday.

The Taylorville Police Department is warning the public about a ransom scam, where scammers can make it seem as if they are calling from a loved one’s phone number to try and take your money.

On Friday, Pauls Valley High School students chose to name their principal — not a fellow classmate — prom king for 2026. The honor came 10 days after Principal Kirk Moore tackled a gunman who opened fire inside the school.  

DEVELOPING: Part of Illinois Route 121 will be shut down in Macon County for an estimated two to three hours after a crash. State Police also said several people were taken to the hospital with injuries.

Illinois is leading the nation this year when it comes to the number of tornadoes.

FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic for $250 million Monday after the magazine published explosive reporting detailing the director was fearful of losing his job and struggled to be reached after nights of excessive drinking.

The Champaign Police Department and the Illinois Department of Revenue served a search warrant at a business in Champaign on Monday.

Grant Arbuckle and Callie Turner of Mahomet-Seymour Agricultural Supplies joined WCIA in the studio to talk about the school’s upcoming plant sale.

President Trump and his Cabinet officials are offering mixed messages on gas prices as Americans grow increasingly uneasy over the Iran war’s economic impact.

The third man facing charges in connection to a reported hate crime in Paris appeared in court for the first time on Monday.

The Urbana Police Department is investigating after an 18-year-old arrived at Carle Hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds in his leg and finger.

DEVELOPING: Firefighters responded to the scene of a house fire in Urbana on Monday. https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/crews-respond-to-urbana-fire-heavy-smoke-coming-from-the-home/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky_ 

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a nearly 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity.

The Champaign County Crime Stoppers is asking for the public's help to identify the suspects in a retail theft case.

Officials in Los Angeles are seeking to charge D4vd with first-degree murder “in connection with the brutal and horrific murder” of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced at a news conference Monday.

The driver who suffered “life-threatening injuries” after a crash in Decatur on Sunday is reportedly in stable condition, police said.

The Coles County Sheriff said improvements have been made to the jail after multiple inmates attempted suicide last month. https://www.wcia.com/coles-county/coles-co-sheriff-says-mental-health-services-expanded-after-suicide-attempts-at-jail/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky_ 

A second tornado touched down in Iroquois County during Friday night’s severe weather, the US National Weather Service confirmed.

The American Library Association (ALA) says book bans remain stubbornly high, announcing that 2025 saw the second-highest documented level of book challenges, narrowly missing the top spot recorded in 2023.

The Senate is expected to vote as early as this week on a budget blueprint for a second reconciliation bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.

Decatur firefighters battled a large house fire overnight and successfully kept the flames from spreading to a historic mansion next door. https://www.wcia.com/news/macon-county/decatur-firefighters-extinguish-large-house-fire-next-to-historic-mansion/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky_ 

Two U.S. Embassy officials died in a car crash on Sunday alongside one Mexican official and an officer in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Members of the faculty union returned to work at the University of Illinois Springfield on Monday after a tentative agreement was reached, suspending an 11-day strike.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that gas prices may not drop below $3 until next year, as energy prices spike amid Iran’s restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

After surviving cuts last year, the University of Illinois’ USDA labs are back in jeopardy.

Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.

Now that the weather is turning nicer, Champaign’s Prairie Farm is inviting people to enjoy the outdoors, and furry friends.

You may know Joey Chestnut for his competitive hot dog-eating skills, but there are far more foods in his repertoire – popcorn, shrimp cocktail, chicken wings, bologna, bagels, to name a few.

The Illinois Junior Rowing Invitational hit the water at Clinton Lake on Sunday.

A refund system for businesses that paid tariffs, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump imposed without the constitutional authority to do so, is scheduled to launch Monday.

Crossing finish lines and crushing barriers is a reality one father in Central Illinois never thought would be possible.

A 16-year-old is now facing charges after a 17-year-old was fatally shot during a senior skip day in Memphis, Tennessee, that started as a water gun fight.

A 72-year-old was taken to the hospital with life-threatening-injuries after a crash in Decatur on Sunday afternoon.

Significant damage was reported in Iroquois County following severe storms Friday night.

About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.

The Tolono Fire Protection District will be honoring a group of first responders Monday for their lifesaving efforts during an emergency response earlier this year.

A new poll shows that more than half of Americans say they think President Trump’s immigration agenda is “too aggressive.”

A storm with winds of up to 100 miles per hour ripped through Gibson City Friday night, causing severe damage to the city’s American Legion.

Five people, including students from the University of Iowa, were injured after an overnight shooting near the school, according to police, who are now looking to speak with persons of interest.

After over 50 years as an organization, the Paxton Community Nursery School will be shutting its doors for good at the end of the school year due to low enrollment and budget deficits.

Eight children are dead following a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, authorities have confirmed. The suspect is also dead, after being fatally shot by police, and investigators are now reviewing multiple crime scenes.

A University of Illinois law student is being charged after the Champaign County State’s Attorney said he hit a teenager with his car on purpose Thursday night.